The Soultaker: The Monster Within (vol. 1) (2002)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Features:

• full-motion menus
  
• art gallery with concept drawings
  
• textless opening and ending
  
• English and Japanese language tracks
  
• English subtitles
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• violence
• buckets o' blood and ick
• conspiracy theories
• scary mutants and monsters
• profanity

Rating: 16+

Anamorphic: Yep. Enhanced for 16x9 TVs

My Advice: Buy it.

I guarantee that Kyosuke is having a worse life than you are. It starts out when his mother stabs him in the heart (before being murdered), and he's buried alive. Then it gets bad.... Running from a mysterious group of mutants known as the Hospital, searching for the sister he never knew he had, trying to find the fragments of her soul, and dodging the megacorp Kirihara, Kyosuke has also just found out that he has some kind of mutation of his own--the ability to transform into a powerful demon-like creature known as the Soultaker.

The heart of the story might be somewhat familiar--hero seeks answers and possibly revenge for the murder of his family. Oh, and he has a Secret. But the trappings, as always, make the difference--since it's true that there's nothing new under the sun, Soultaker tweaks the familiar tropes and comes up with something new enough to be interesting, and interesting enough to be new.

The plot is as labyrinthine and detailed as you could want. By the end of the first episode, you'll be drowning in questions and dying to know the answers. Why are these two groups after him and his sister? What are "flickers" and why was his sister's soul fragmented into them? What is Shiro Mibu's real agenda? How did Kyosuke become the mutant code-named Soultaker? Why did his mother stab him? Yes, by the end of the first DVD, there are still some unanswered questions, but it's a series, and would we really want perfect illumination when the tale had barely begun? The characters have some growing to do before they seem real, but Soultaker's potential cannot be denied.

The animation style is very surreal, quite disjointed, in fact, somewhat like Lain or Perfect Blue. This might irritate viewers attached solely to linear storytelling, but the effect is quite appropriate, given Kyosuke's disorientation and the macabre, almost techno-gothic tale. The animators obviously cared about cinematography and aesthetic impact, and if at times they tried a little too hard, that can be forgiven when the whole is as strong as Soultaker is. The colors are crisp and perfectly chosen for maximum impact, both emotional and visceral. Pay attention to the small things, like where shadows fall, quick-take editing images, and which colors drench the heroine.

The audio is equally good. The soundtrack is, in fact, quite amazing, not as heavy-handed as some dark Anime can be, but instead is effective. The only exception to this is the rather odd, 80s pop tune used when Kyosuke transforms into the Soultaker--it's more Transformers than scary or portentive.

The features are solid, if not astounding. Galleries, especially those containing concept drawings, are always welcome, and Soultaker has a rather large collection. The animated menu is nice; I like how the gallery is called "Morgue." The non-credit ending and opening is a nice addition for those of us who like to appreciate the art without clutter in the way.

In short, viewers who enjoy surrealism and shows like Twin Peaks will probably enjoy the macabre goth-punk Soultaker. Don't expect to be given a lot of answers right off the bat, but if you can handle a bit of confusion, then the animation and plot will reward you.